BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of
Wayne Co., Ohio
Vol. I
Illustrated
Publ. by B. F. Bowen & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
1910
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Mathew Gaut
Mrs. Mathew Gaut |
MATHEW GAUT.
The biographical history of Wayne
county would be incomplete were there failure to make specific
mention of Mr. Gaut, who has passed his entire on the farm
which is now his home. In his youth he was familiar with the
scenes and incidents of pioneer life, his father having been one of
the early settlers in the county, coming here at a time when the
section was practically an unbroken forest, when Indians and wild
animals were still plentiful and when the homes of the settlers were
log cabins of the most primitive type. Reared thus on the
frontier, as it was then called, the subject was borne his part in
the work of development, as did his honored father, both having been
factors in bringing about the transformation which has made this one
of the leading counties in the state, with its highly cultivated
farms, thriving towns and villages, its school houses, churches and
all other evidences that show the mark of progress and culture.
Mathew Gaut was born on his present homestead in
the township of Canaan, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 3d of July, 1833,
and is a son of Samuel and Rebecca (Montgomery) Gaut, both of
whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in 1799.
The subject's paternal grandfather, Mathew Gaut, Sr., was
born in Pennsylvania, in which state he lived and died being a
farmer by vocation. His son Samuel emigrated from the
Keystone state to Canaan township, Wayne county, Ohio, in 1821, and
bought one hundred and twenty acres of wild land. This he
cleared and developed into a fine and productive farm, on which he
lived during the remaining years of his life, his death occurring in
1879. He was of that sturdy pioneer stock which was
instrumental in paving the way for the present wonderful
civilization and his sterling qualities of character commended him
to the confidence and regard of all who knew him. In politics
he was a stanch and radical Democrat and took a prominent and
influential part of public affairs during his active years. To
him and his wife were born in following children: Oliver,
Mary, Mathew, Harriet, John, Margaret and Vetencia, all
of whom have passed over the silent river excepting the third named,
and subject of this review.
Mathew Gaut was reared under the parental roof
and secured his early education in the district school at Golden
Corners. after the conclusion of his school days he continued
to assist his father in the work of the farm until he had attained
his legal majority, when he went to Iowa and was there employed a
few years. At the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Gaut
gave unmistakable evidence of his patriotism by enlisting on June
13, 1861, in Company G, First Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, with
which command he served three years and three months, being mustered
out on the 9th of September, 1864. During most of the period
of his enlistment he was engaged in bushwhacking and in fighting
Quantrell's gang of guerrillas. His command was a part of
the army west of the Mississippi and also took part in several
severe engagements, including that at Prairie Grove and the capture
of Little Rock, besides many minor battles and skirmishes. At
the close of his military service Mr. Gaut returned to Canaan
township and resumed work on the home farm, continuing to assist the
father until the latter's death in 1879, when the farm became his.
He has continued his residence here ever since and gave to its
operation his personal attention and undivided efforts until his
retirement from active labor a few years ago, since which time his
son John has looked after management of the place for his
father.
Mr. Gaut has been twice married, first to
Julie Young, who was a native of Chester township, Wayne county,
Ohio, and a daughter of Isaac and Lavina (McVicker) Young.
Mr. Gaut's second union was with Elizabeth Francis, a
daughter of William Francis, of Westmoreland county,
Pennsylvania. Mr. Gaut has become the father of two
children, John, born May 18, 1876, and Ira, who is
deceased. John was married on June 2, 1902, to Anna
Rumbaugh, of Congress township, this county, the daughter of
William and "Catherine (McVicker) Rumbaugh, who were early
settlers in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Gaut have been
born two children, Edna and Wayne.
In matters political Mathew Gaut
formerly gave a stanch and loyal support to the Democratic party,
but in recent years he has stood independent of party lines and
votes for the men he considers best fitted for the offices. He
has ever taken a deep interest in the advancement of the community
in which he lives and has always lent his support to all movements
for the advancement of the best interests of the entire community.
He stands as one of the strong and sturdy pioneers of the county and
enjoys the respect of all. His memory forms a connecting link
between the primitive past and the progressive present and few men
now living in Wayne county are better informed concerning its
history when Ohio was a frontier state than is Mathew Gaut,
whose reminiscences of the early days are most interesting.
Source: History of Wayne Co.,
Ohio - Vol. I - Illustrated - Publ. by B. F. Bowen & Company,
Indianapolis, Indiana - 1910 - Page 768 |
| |
CHARLES A. GRABER.
The little republic of Switzerland has not furnished so large a
number of inhabitants to northern Ohio as Germany and other European
countries, but it is certain that none of her sister countries have
furnished us with a more intelligent and industrious class than she,
for wherever the Swiss are found they become owners of property and
are loyal to our institutions, making admirable citizens. Of
this class Charles A. Graber is a descendant, he being of the
second generation of that sturdy race in this country. His
birth occurred in Paint township, Wayne county, Ohio, June 24, 1857,
the son of Frederick A. and Julia (Falet) Graber.
Frederick A. Graber was born in Switzerland, and was educated
and married there. Soon after his marriage he came to the
United States, believing that here existed greater opportunities for
him; this was in 1839. He came to the interior and settled in
Paint township, Wayne county, Ohio. He was a hard worker and
lived very comfortably, owning about sixty acres of land at the time
of his death. His family consisted of six sons and four
daughters, namely: Lewis, Jules A., Alfred A., Julia E.,
Adale H., Ida T., Lucy E., Charles A., Oscar E. and Paul.
Charles A. Graber was reared on the home farm in
Paint township, which he worked during his boyhood days, and
attended the district schools. He studied hard and got a good
education. He remained on the home farm until he was
twenty-one years of age. In December, 1881, he married
Nettie Tasker, a native of Paint township, where she was reared
on a farm and educated. She was a member of an excellent
family.
In 1887 Mr. Graber moved on his farm of
thirty-seven acres in section 34, East Union township, where he
still resides. He has a neat little place which is very
productive and which yields him a good living. He has a very
comfortable home and keeps some stock and poultry. By good
management he makes his place produce well and his family is well
provided for.
To Mr. and Mrs. Graber six children have been
born, namely: Oren, who married Etta Krause;
Ortense is deceased; Millard, Ruth, Charlie,
Vernice and Louise.
Mr. Graber is a member of the Reform
church at Apple Creek where he and his family are faithful
attendants. Fraternally he belongs to Apple Creek Lodge, No.
324, Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor.
Politically he is a Democrat, and is very ably serving his township
as one of its trustees, and he was a member of the school board for
five years, during which time the cause of education in this
vicinity was carefully looked after
Source: History of
Wayne Co., Ohio - Vol. II - Illustrated - Publ. by B. F. Bowen &
Company, Indianapolis, Indiana - 1910 - Page 1331 |
| |
DANIEL GRABER.
From the vine-clad hills of sunny France to the fertile and highly
cultivated fields of Ohio is a far cry, and yet in these two
localities the subject of this sketch has lived. In the United
States he has found the opportunities for enterprise and energy, and
that he has here attained to a gratifying success in his business
affairs is a fact widely recognized in the section of Wayne county
in which he lives.
Daniel Graber is descended from a long
line of French ancestry, his paternal grandparents, Jacob and
Marian Graber, having lived there all their lives. His
maternal grandparents, Christian and Anna (Widmer) Conrad,
also lived their entire lives in the land of the lily. His
parents were Peter and Catherine (Conrad) Graber, both
of whom were born in France, the former in 1821 and the latter in
1822. The father was a successful farmer by vocation, having
lived for twenty-four years on one farm, and it is a further matter
of record that the same property had been occupied by some member of
the Graber family for more than one hundred years. All
the members of the family clung to the religious faith of the
Mennonite church and were highly respected where they lived.
Peter Graber died on Feb. 9, 1870, and soon thereafter
the widowed mother and her children came to the United States, and
came at once to Wayne county, Ohio, locating first in a small house
situated about a mile west of the present residence of the subject.
Soon afterwards she and her four sons bought a farm of one hundred
and seventy-seven acres in Milton township, and they engaged in the
operation of this place during the following eight years. In
1880 the mother and two of the sons, including the subject of this
sketch, bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres west of the
former place, and they greatly improved, building thereon a full set
of well-built and commodious farm buildings and otherwise making
many substantial improvements. The mother lived with the
subject on this place until her death, which occurred on Dec. 20,
1895.
Daniel Graber was born in France on the
29th of March, 1854, and there received the greater part of his
education, being taught to speak, read and write both French and
German. After coming to the United States with his mother, he
attended school about three months. He has been a close reader
and a keen observer and is considered a very well informed man.
He has here devoted his entire attention to the tilling of the soil
and the breeding and raising of livestock, in both of which lines he
has been very successful. He is an enterprising and practical
farmer and has seldom had a failure in any of his crops. He
carries on a general line of farming, raising all the crops common
to this section of the country. In the handling of horses he
has achieved a distinctive success. He handles Percheron,
Belgian and trotting stock and has produced and sold some fine
horses. One mare which he bred and raised he sold for three
hundred and fifty dollars, and the same horse today cannot be bought
for fifteen hundred dollars. Mr. Graber also
does a large dairy business, shipping his milk daily to Cleveland,
where he finds a good market.
In December, 1888, Mr. Graber returned to
his native land and there, on the 16th of April, 1889, he was united
in marriage to the sweetheart of his early youth, Marie
Richard, the daughter of Michael and Fannie (Kurth) Richard.
Her father is still living in France at the advanced age of
eighty-two years, and in the spring of 1909 the subject’s eldest
daughter, Katie, paid him a visit. Mrs.
Graber’s paternal grandparents were Michael and
Madeline (Widmer) Richard, while her grandparents
on the maternal side were Christian and Mary (Widmer) Kurth.
To Mr. and Mrs. Graber have been born the following children:
Michael (deceased), Joseph, Peter (deceased), Abel,
Homer, Katie, Fannie, Martie and Mary.
In politics Mr. Graber has given his
support to the Democratic party and has taken a live and healthy
interest in local public affairs, having rendered efficient service
in the capacity of school director. As a public-spirited and
progressive citizen, Mr. Graber has given his
influence in the furtherance of good government, educational and
religious interests and all that conserves the general welfare,
while to him is accorded in his adopted county the fullest measure
of esteem and confidence.
Source: History of
Wayne Co., Ohio - Vol. II - Illustrated - Publ. by B. F. Bowen &
Company, Indianapolis, Indiana - 1910 - Page 1045 |
| |
RUDOLPH GRABER.
When a farmer is out of debt and is in comfortable circumstances,
the chances are that he is just as happy as any other person of
moderate circumstances can be or is. He need not worry for
fear his farm may burn up or blow up, as he knows that no matter
what may betide, he will still have a home and a means of making a
living for himself and family. It is his own fault, therefore,
if he is not happy. One of the contented farmers of East Union
township is Rudolph Graber, a native of Switzerland,
having been born in that country Sept. 13, 1853, the son of John
and Anna (Oplinger) Graber, both now deceased, neither of them
having come to the United States.
Rudolph Graber was reared on the farm in
his native country and attended the common schools there, receiving
a good education. When he reached maturity he began to cast
about for a profession and nothing in his native country appealing
to him, he decided to try his fortunes in the United States,
consequently he landed on our shores in May, 1877, and soon
thereafter found himself in Wayne county, Ohio. He was limited
in means and in order to get a start he worked on the farm by the
year and month. He married Emma Zaugg, who was
born Sept. 13, 1860, the daughter of Jacob Zaugg; she
was a native of Wayne county, this state, a member of a good old
family of German descent.
Mr. Graber purchased the farm where he
now lives in 1899, consisting of forty-seven acres, located in
sections 26 and 35, East Union township. He learned the secret
of cheese-making in his native country, and he has engaged in the
same here with great success, having purchased the Fountain cheese
factory. He manufactures cheese and retails the same in
various markets, always finding a ready sale for his products, owing
to their superior quality and wholesomeness. He has an
excellent little farm which yields a very comfortable income under
his able management. He has a cozy home and everything
about the place has an air of contentment.
To Mr. and Mrs. Graber
eight children were born, namely: Ella, Fred, Clara,
Edna, Hilda, Raymond, Erma and Laura.
They have all received good common school educations.
Mr. Graber and his family are members of
the Mount Eaton Reform church. Politically, Mr.
Graber adheres to the tenets of the Democratic party. He
takes an abiding interest in whatever tends to advance the interests
of his community, and because of his honesty and habits of strict
attention to his business affairs, together with his neighborly
friendliness, he is held in popular favor all over the township, as
is also each member of his family.
Source: History of
Wayne Co., Ohio - Vol. II - Illustrated - Publ. by B. F. Bowen &
Company, Indianapolis, Indiana - 1910 - Page 1258 |
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